ALT-1 Hybrid Cars – No
While Japanese cars have been known to work with great efficiency, this is not an indication that if the Big Three fail, Japan will force hybrids on America. Hybrids are beneficial cars because they have the ability to run more efficiently, utilizing a combination of gasoline and electricity. Therefore, they obtain better gas milage, and in that respect, are less expensive. Although the economy is not doing well during this period of time, and the quantity of hybrid cars purchased has increased, this still has not caused the hybrid car to remain the dominate type of automobile. Even if the Big Three fail, Japan will not force hybrids on America because only Americans know which types of cars they desire to drive.
The Big Three consist of Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler. These car companies have been dominant in the United States for years. However, in recent times, the Big Three are no longer as popular as they once were. People no longer idolize Ford as the ideal brand that can provide a car for every individual. Instead, people have become fascinated with foreign cars and luxury cars. Also, General Motors and Chrysler have completely decreased in popularity, to the extent that seeing these brands advertised would possess the potential to represent that of an anomaly. Therefore, in terms of the general definition of failure, it is not completely inaccurate to state that the Big Three have already failed.
When hybrids were first introduced, not a significant amount of people rushed to purchase them. At the time of their invention, gasoline was still relatively reasonably priced, environmental concerns were not as prominent, and people did not consider the idea that gasoline would someday be inefficient. Also, hybrids represented a difference in the regular mechanism of cars. Nevertheless, people are usually apprehensive about purchasing a piece of technology that they have no prior experience with, especially when the present piece of technology is not causing any problem. Gasoline cars functioned fine for most Americans, and no one spent a large amount of time considering the environmental effects of its use. Hybrid cars, in this respect, did not seem necessary. Therefore, only a minority of people decided to purchase them.
The small amount of people that purchased the hybrid cars did not allow them to become popular. Instead, this action just represented that of a prosaic occurrence. Simply, that some people chose to purchase a different type of car. In fact, for most people, hybrid cars did not seem any different from ordinary cars because information regarding their features was not widely known. However, when people began to learn more about conserving the natural resources, and protecting the environment, this is when the functions of the hybrid car became more prominent. With the constant emphasis on environmental issues, high gas prices, and the state of the economy, hybrid cars have become more popular than they were in the past. Yet this slight increase in popularity is not indicative of a significant turn of events.
Japan has not forced hybrids on America. Certainly, some of the best hybrid cars are Japanese brands, yet other brands make hybrids as well. Only Americans know what they want. They choose to purchase either Japanese hybrids or other hybrids, depending on the car that most effectively corresponds to their desires. In fact, some Americans do not even purchase hybrids at all. Nevertheless, although Japan can help to influence the decision of which hybrids are best to purchase, they do not force these cars on America. In many respects, the Big Three have already failed, yet Japan still remains an influence, but not a dominating force.